Electrodeposition process



Od. l2o, 1925. 1,551,980 Y. A. J. cA-WLEY ELECTRODEPOSITION PROCESS Filedv April' 17. 1922 Can/771er CLAMP l comu/@zwi7 la Papa/5 mo/v Patented Qct. 20, 1925,

PATENT FFICE.

ALOYSIUS J'. CAWLEY, O'F PITTSTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRODEPOSTION PROCESS.

Application filed April .17, 1922. Serial No. 554,112.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALoYsiUs J. C/iwLiii',

a citizenof theUnited States, and a resident of Pittston, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved `Electrodeposition Process, of which the following is a t'ull,

clear, and exact description.

The invention relates. generally to electrodepositio'n more particularly, it, involves a process whereby metallic duplicates or patrices are formed from sound records carried on longitudinal strips. It is especially '.idaptedto making metallic patrices from sound groovescarried upon the niarginof negative motion 'picture filiiis, so that talking picture positive records may be produced.

B y this process a metallic patrix formed in such a manner' that the electrolyte does not inaiiy way come 1in contact with the picture portion of the film, it being entirely confined to the portion of the i'ilin which carries the sound record. It is unnecessary to immerse the filinin an electroplating bath, as the yprocess is carried outwhile the film is. Wound upon'thereel or other sup- Aport. The electrolyte is heldincontact with .the film by means of a porous ribbon or tape. I

The invention is not necessarily limited to the production of sound record patricels, as it may be used for making embossed copies of certain portions of carved work, etc.

This Vinvention was'originally a part of my application for sound recording process filed December 13th, 1919, Serial Number 344,708, granted J uiie 20th, 1922, Number 1,420,304. It is also-a continuation in part of .my application Serial Number 165,861, filed May 2, 1917, fora process lof producing .a sound record.

`Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specifica- Y tion, in which -like characters of reference 4 denote corresponding parts iii all the views,

and .in which,

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a motion picture reel provided with contact clamps, and upon which the negative film, porous strip and anode have been wound.

Figure 2 is an elevational view of a con-A the anode and strip are held iii .contact with the film.

A sound groove is formed Aon the margin oi a negative motion picture film as .outlined in the above mentionedy application. The Celluloid filin is heated by means of special apparatus' only along the line of the "proposed sound groove, resulting in a plasticized area. A stylus is vibrated in Contact with this area so that a sound groovepis produced. Obviously, this sound groove constitutes a master record. The surface of the master record thus produced on the negative film 13 is coated witli'a conducting substance, such as graphite, silver, etc., or the like iii any of the well-known ways. Over this surface isplaced a strip of porous material, 10, suoli as blotting paper, asbestos, mineral woohglass wool or felt, which has been impregnated with a suitable electrolyte, such-as copper sulphate, the double sulphate of nickel and ammonia, or the like.

Copper is a very satisfactory metal to deposit, and is rather cheap. VAn acid solution may be employed havingthe following composition: copper sulphate 2 lbs., sulpliuric acid 1/2 to 1 1b., added to a gallon of water.

each of the following ingredients, crystallized acetate of copper, sodium carbonate, sodium bisulphite'and cyanide of potassium added-to 1,000 parts of water. The inven- 'small clamps 1, and indicated diagrammatieally connected to .ribbon 9; however,` the connections to the ribbon could be by means of soldered joints, if desired.` Those clamps may be cheaply constructed.' The battery wires., or those leading to any other source `of power are shown at 5 and 55. The whole reel is thus wound with` film, strip and ribbon and connections made at frequent intervals by means of clamps 4. .The .reel is thus laid If an alkaline solution is desired, the following `maybe used: 'twenty parts of The three are Wound on a aside in'any convenient place and the current turned on for a sufficient time to allow lof the formation o f the patriX. This is formed obviously by passing a current from the anode 9 through the porous strip or tape 10, to the conducting surface. An even distribution of the current is secured by the frequent connections of the clamps 4. :The

y porous tape with its contained electrolyte permits of the free movement ofthe ions in accordance with Faradayslaw;| and results in the deposition of the metallic ions at thesurface of the master record. j

After winding up a reel, orraclr, in the above manner, it is only necessary to turn on the current and let the reel stand untila suiiicient thickness of `metal is deposited. Several hundred feet of film can be placed on a reel in this manner and the long'duplicate, orpatrix, made in the 'same period one part of the laboratory tothe other.

Thephotographic surface of the picture record is not touched by the electrolyte, etc., and itis absolutely safe from injury. It 1s impossible to produce' a metallic duplicate' or patrix from one thousand feet of. film record surface by means of theI ordinary -plating bath, on account of its inconvenience, to `say nothing of the possibility of injury to the surface itself. This is true whether the positive photosensitive surface is developed or undeveloped. j

If desired, the margin carrying the master vrecord may bel severed from the main body of the film, and the operation of making a metallic duplicate from it carried on simultaneously with the development ofthe picture record. However, by making the duplica-te in the dark before developing the negative -film, any possible, danger to the sound record by the developing bath will be eliminated. It must be noted though that the developing bath, being an aqueous solution, will have no injurious edect on the celluloid with its groove.

After the duplicate has been deposited, the ribbons or tapes, may be unwound from the reel and the duplicate stripped from the master record, and if desired provided with a backing strip.

The patrix which has been produced iny the above manner may be 'attached to the negative by suitable cement, or by means of heat and pressure, and a new unitary product obtained which is capable of aording great convenience in the subsequent opera-v tions of molding the sound` record and printing the picture record on the posit-ive motion picture film, forming a talking picture` record. Such a combinedpatrix and negay tive motion picture film is described in my application, Serial No. 328,299, filed October 3rd, 1919, for a process of laterally modifying a sound: record, being illustrated by Figure 7.

- Figures 2 and 3 show the manner4 of attaching the 'conducting wires by means of the clamps 4, the latter being il t'veen the base 12 and thev movable blade which is actuated by the spring 6. 'Anode 9 and tape 10, being wound on the reel tightly with the film, hold allthree in contact. Theconducting wire 5 is clamped in the groove 14 byfblade 7, which is in turnl actuated by the spring 15. Electrical con nections are thus easily made with the .surface of -13 which isdirectly under the strip 10, and which carries the sound groove. It

is readily seen that the clamps 4 may be attached to the film, tape and anode even beforethey are wound upon the film. The base 12, etc., will protrude over the side of the film, and it is an easy matter to insert Y l ustrated in Y detail. The film margin 13 is clamped bewire 5 in the `grooves 14 `of the various clamps 4. It is thought that only one con-v nection as by 55 need be made to the anode, due to its low' resistance.

` Having described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

tween said metalv strip and said conducting surface to deposit metal over a specific area of said conducting surface in accordance with the lspecific form of saidlayer.

2, The process of making `sound'record patrices, which consists in rendering a film surface electrically conductive, and placing a porous tape saturated with electrolyte in contact with said surface; placing a` ribbon of suitable metal in contact with said tape; making electrical connections so that said ribbon acts as anoderand a patriX is formed liy electrodeposition on said conducting surace.

3. The proeessof making sound record patrices, which consists in Arendering a master record surface on a motion picture film electrically conductive, and placing -a porous process of electrodeposition, which `consists in applying a layerl of. absorbent mastrip saturated with suitable electrolyte in A contact with said surface; placing asuitable metal ribbon in contact with said tape; making electrical connections so that said ribbon acts as anode andapatrix is formed in con.- tact with said conducting surface.

4. The process of making sound record patrices, which consists in rendering a masconducting electrically, and placing a por* ous strip saturated with suitable electrolyte in Contact with said surface .placing a suit- 1 able metal ribbon in contact with said tape, and winding all three in a continuous manner on a ,suitable reel or rack.; making proper' electrical connections with said-metal ribbon and conducting surface, and turning on` an electrical current so that a patrix isformed throughout thewhole length of said surface simultaneously.' v i 5. The process of making sound record patrices, Which'consists in ,Winding continuously a porous strip saturated with electrolyte and a metallic ribbon, both being in contact with each other andthe said tape in contact With a sound master record located on the margin of a moving picture film, and the said motion picture film upon a suitable rack; all being in proper electrical arrangement so that a metallic duplicate is formed on said conducting surface.

/ 6. The process of making sound record patrices, which consists in placing a tape of porous material saturated with electrolyte between a sound master record located on a flexible film and a suitable metallic ribbon, Wound upon a rack,' and proper electrical connections made so that current passes from the metal ribbon through the tape and deposits a metallic patriX upon the surface of the master record which has been previously made electrically conductive; separating all three and stripping off the patrix, and applying a suitable backing material.

Y Pittston, Pa., Januar 3rd, 1922.

ALOYSIllS J. GAWLEY. 

